The Possible Health Benefits of White Tea

Benefits of White Tea

The possible health benefits of white tea are finally becoming known to the western world. Unless you were a real tea connoisseur, you probably did not hear much about this particular variation of tea until rather recently. It's no secret to most westerners that for years that members of Asian countries have consumed large quantities green tea because of its health benefits, but their consumption of white is just becoming known. Let's take a look at what makes white tea different from green tea, and why it can possibly be better for you.

What is White Tea

White tea comes from the Camellia sinensis plant just like black, green, and oolong teas. The difference is in the way that each tea is processed. White goes through the least amount of processing before it is ready to consume. Green tea has slightly more processing, followed by oolong tea, and finally black tea has the most processing of all of the variations. If leaves are intended to be brewed to make a white tea, they will be picked before they are fully matured. It comes as no surprise that studies have been known to show that white tea has even better health benefits than green tea considering that like all other foods and drinks that we consume, the less that it is processed, the better it is for us.

Like green tea, white tea has shown to have antioxidants that are capable of inhibiting cancer cells from growing. These antioxidants work by neutralizing free radicals within the body, which can cause cells to mutate and become cancerous, and are known to promote a strong immune system. This alone can make white tea attractive to those who may have cases of cancer in their family history. Bear in mind that if you discover or believe that you have cancer, then you must see a doctor. White tea can possibly supplement cancer prevention, but it is not a cure.

The possibility of weight loss is an attractive possible effect for many. A study by Oregon State University concluded that there is a chance that there may be a slight decrease in body weight if white tea is consumed regularly. Here's the catch thoughâ€¦you still have to exercise and eat right. People seem to hear about how white and green tea will make them lose weight, but they never seem to remember that they have still have to be active and eat reasonably in order to lose weight.

There are other possible health benefits of white tea that have been studied, such as a reduction in the risk of developing kidney stones, healthy teeth from the fluoride that tea contains, and health benefits for your heart.

Things to Consider About the Information About White Tea

It is important to note that many studies are performed based on individuals that consume 3 or more cups of white tea per day. This does not mean that there are no benefits to consuming only a cup or two a day, but you may not get the same results that you read about in the studies. However, if you drink coffee, and you replaced your morning cup with 1 cup of white tea, you would already be seeing health benefits from drinking the tea just because you're consuming less caffeine.

Another thing to remember is that many of the claims of the benefits of white tea are based on reasonings such as "Asian people drink tea and don't have heart attacks. While western people don't drink tea and they have heart attacks. So, the fact that Asians have less heart attacks must mean that it's because of the tea that they drink." In reality, there are many variables that would have to be taken into consideration to see why Asians have less heart attacks. The point being if you continue to research the health benefits of white tea, then make sure the information is based on scientific studies by a legitimate university or scientific group.

Conclusion

White tea seems to be the best type of tea if you are trying to take advantage of tea's health benefits. The fact that it is not as processed as the other types makes it a much better option, in my opinion. The possibility of the all of the health claims being true should make it desirable for most. Give it try, and see if you like. It definitely will not hurt you, and it could possibly improve your health. So, you have nothing to lose.